Device for button tufting cushions for chairs and mattresses

ABSTRACT

BUTTON TUFTING DEVICE FOR PADS SUCH AS, FOR EXAMPLE, CUSHIONS, MATTRESSES AND THE LIKE ARTICLES CONSISTING OF AN ELONGATE FLEXIBLE ELEMENT HAVING A TUFTING BUTTON INTEGRALLY FORMED ON ONE END THEREOF AND A POINTED HEADPIECE INTEGRALLY FORMED ON THE OTHER END THEREOF MOULDED OF SUITABLE PLASTIC MATERIAL, AND A COMPANION BUTTON TO BE SNAPPED ON THE HEADPIECE IN PUSH-BUTTON LIKE MANNER AFTER THE ELEMENT HAD BEEN PULLED THROUGH THE PAD WITH THE AID OF A STIFF NEEDLE OR SIMILAR TOOL.

Sept. 28, 1971 0, p, MOL-r 3,608,157

'DEVICE FOR BUTTON TUFTING CUSHIONS FOR CHAIRS AND MATTRESSES Fileduayls, 1969- zsneets-sheet 1 IN VEN TOR.

011110 p Hnt BY 5?;f-rou ILH Sears-au ATToRueys Sept. 28,- 1971 o. P. MOLT 3,608,151

DEVICE von BUTTON TUFTING cUsHoNs Fon CHAIRS AND MAT'rm'zssus Filed May 15, 1969 2 Shcotshoot 2 INVENTOR.

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Sean-6U an) SQQ'YW AT1-o Huys United States Patent 3,608,157 DEVICE FOR BUTTON TUFTING CUSHIONS FOR CHAIRS AND MATTRESSES Otto Paul Molt, 7061 Haubersbroun, Wurttemberg, Germany Filed May 15, 1969, Ser. No. 824,813 Claims priority, application Germany, May 17, 1968, P 17 60 443.2 Int. Cl. A41l1 31/00;A44b 1 /l2, 1/18 U.S. Cl. 24-102T 14 Claims ABSTRACT 0F THE DISCLOSURE Button tufting device for pads such as, for example, cushions, mattresses and the like articles consisting of an elongate ilexible element having a tufting button integrally formed on one end thereof and a pointed headpiece integrally formed on the other end thereof moulded of suitable plastic material, and a companion button to be snapped on the headpiece in push-button like manner after the element had been pulled through the pad with the aid of a stiff needle or similar tool.

This invention relates to a device for the button tufting of cushions for chairs and mattresses, comprised of a button with a flexible connecting element that is drawn through the padding by means of a needle, and of a companion button to be secured to the free end of said element.

vButton tufting devices of this type are known in which the flexible connecting element is formed by a loop of twine knotted to an eyelet on the button, said loop also being knotted to the eyelet of the companion button by means of a needle with a pointed hook that is pushed through the cushion or mattress. Said companion button must be moved through the twine loop as the knot is tied. This is a complicated and dicult process, as only the very small section of the loop projecting out of the cushion or mattress is at disposal for the button tufting operation.

The problem which is intended to be solved by this invention is to simplify the attachment of the companion button. According to this invention this is attained in that the flexible connecting element has, at its free end, a head piece terminating in a sharp tip that acts as a needle point when penetrating the cushion or mattress and having surfaces for its engagement with a needle shaft as well as for hooking, from the rear, into an eyelet provided on the companion button. At this stage, all that is required is to pierce through the mattress or cushion from one side with the button-attached kflexible connecting element, by means of a suitable tool, such as a needle device, and to secure the companion button, by a simple movement of the hand, to the head piece of the connecting element that projects out of the mattress or cushion, whereby the shaft of the needle serves as a stiff backup against downward pressure. In this manner the time required for button tufting can be reduced to a fraction of that required by former methods. No high demands need be made on the skill of the worker.

Preferably the one button, the flexible connecting element and the head piece terminating in a sharp tip are combined in one single plastic piece, e.g., an injection moulded plastic member. This substantially reduces production costs.

The surface of attack for the needle shaft is preferably formed by an annular shoulder at the transition section from the flexible connecting element to the head piece. It is of advantage to provide a gradual cone-shaped section of transition between the annular shoulder and the conrice necting element as an advantageous strengthening means that is also favorable when drawing the connecting element through the cushion or mattress, as will be explained in more detail below, when describing an exemplied embodiment.

In one embodiment of the invention the companion button has an elastic expandable hollow neck extension by which it can be snapped on to the head piece of the flexible connecting element by pressing it against same in pushbutton manner. In this case, the annular shoulder on the head piece provided for attack by the needle shaft can serve as the surface that is engagingly snapped into from the rear by the catch on the extension of the companion button. An extra annular shoulder can also be provided on the head piece for this purpose.

By a still further embodiment of the invention, an eyelet is disposed in the head piece of the flexible connecting element, to the rear of the tip and the companion button is provided with a hook to engage said eyelet. Or to the rear of the tip of the head piece, a hook can be provided by a laterally recessed opening that engages a matching eyelet or a matching hook on the companion button.

The needle shaft that serves as the tool for piercing the tip of the head piece and the connecting element through the mattress is of quite simple construction. It has a longitudinal groove that accommodates the exible connecting element and it terminates in a front end that grips the head piece.

An embodiment of this invention is illustrated in the following drawings, representing in FIG. l a section through a pad such as a cushion or mattress, showing, at left, a known system and at right the button tufting system of the present invention with pushbutton-like engagement of the companion button,

FIG. 2 the corresponding section being pierced by the needle shaft with the :flexible connecting element,

FIG. 3 the components of the button tufting device according to this invention with the needle shaft, in a somewhat larger scale,

FIG. 4 a different embodiment of the head piece for a pushbutton-like engageable companion button,

FIG. 5 a head piece with an eyelet and the matching companion button,

FIG. 6 a head piece with a laterally recessed hook and the matching companion button,

FIG. 7 a further preferred embodiment of the invention.

FIG. l, on the left side, shows a known button tufting system-where the buttons 1 and Z have eyelets 3 and 4 that are knotted together by the exible connecting element formed by the continuous twine loop 5.

The right side of FIG. l represents the button tufting embodiment according to this invention. Here button 11 is connected to a connecting element formed of a single filament which, at its free end, terminates in a head piece 14 with an arrow-like tip `13. In this embodiment the button 11, the elongate connecting element 12 and the head piece 13 are combined in one single piece of injection moulded plastic material.

Companion button 15 has a hollow neck 16 of an elastic resilient material, the end face 17 of said neck having an aperture 18 to admit tip 13 of head piece 14, the daylight opening of said aperture I18 being smaller than the largest diameter of head piece 14. Consequently, companion button 15 can be snapped over head piece 14- by depressing it in push button fashion, so that neck end face 17 grips behind and securely engages annular ring 19 of the head piece. It is of advantage to manufacture companion button 15 with its hollow neck 16 in one piece, of injection moulded plastic material. Plastic buttons 11 and 15 can be covered in known manner with a cloth matching the cushion or mattress covers.

To apply the tufting buttons the cushion or mattress 21 is squeezed together as shown in FIG. 2 between panels 22 and 23, to reduce thickness of the same. Said panels have openings 24 and 25 for the placement of the buttons. Drawing the ilexible connecting members through the padding 21 is performed lby means of a needle shaft.

In the known button tufting method (FIGS. l and 2, left side) needle shaft 26 has a head 2S terminating in a point 27 and having a recessed hook 29 rearwards of said point, into which twine loop is hung.

FIGS. 1 and 2 right hand side show the button tufting device according to this invention, with needle shaft 30 having longitudinal groove 31 terminating at its front end 32. Groove 31 is dimensioned to accommodate flexible connecting element 12. Front end 32 grips under head piece 14 into the annular shoulder 19, between said head piece and the exible connecting element, and said annular shoulder 19 is also grippingly engaged and locked in by the hollow neck members 16 and 17 of companion button 15. Head piece 14 forms the penetrating member that pierces through the mattress, whereas the needle shaft only serves as thrusting means. After emerging from the mattress head piece 14 is freely exposed for the push button-like application of companion button 15, as described above, in the opening of the squeezing panel 23. Needle shaft acts as the counterpressure means when the companion button 15 is pressed in place.

In the exemplified embodiment a gradual, e.g., coneshaped transitional section 35 is disposed between annular shoulder 19, head piece .14 and the iilament-like flexible connecting element 12. This is a safeguard to prevent head piece 14 from slipping sideways out of the needle shaft while being pushed through the mattress'. As illustrated in FIG. 3, a depression 36 corresponding to the gradual tapering transition 35 can also be provided at front end 32 of the needle shaft 30. Said gradual tapering transition 3-5 from annular shoulder 19 of head piece 14 to the thin ilexible connecting element 12 is also a positive reinforcing means for this section. Annular shoulder |19 is slightly concave in this exemplified embodiment. This has the advantage that the rim of head piece 14 resiliently yields Well radially when encased in the hollow neck members 16 and 17 of companion button 15.

FIG. 4 shows a modified embodiment of head piece 12, having an extra annular shoulder 40, this too being of preferably slightly concave form, which the hollow neck members 16, 17 of companion button 15 can grippingly engage from the rear.

In the embodiment represented in FIG. 5, head piece 14 of flexible connecting element 12 has an eyelet 41 to the rear of its tip l13 and the companion button 15 has a corresponding hook 42. In this form of button tufting, too, the gripping engagement of companion button 15 again is a simple aiair. With its hook 42 the companion button can easily be inserted into the eyelet in head piece 14, as it emerges from the mattress, by a simple movement of the hand, whereby the needle shaft 30` can again be applied as a rigid counter-pressure member.

FIG. 6 shows a head piece 14 with a laterally recessed open hook 45 and companion button 15 with an eyelet 46. Here, too, manipulation is equally uncomplicated. In place of eyelet 46, the companion button could also have a hook akin to FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 shows a further preferred embodiment of the invention. The flexible connecting element 12.' comprises at its rear end a substantially cylindrical and enlarged portion 52 and a further enlarged conical portion 50. A button 11 preferably formed of plastic material has a central opening -51 corresponding to the outer shape of the portions and 52. The rear sides of the button 11 and of the portion 50l are curved with a similar radius of curvature.

The head piece 14 of this preferred embodiment has the shape of a bullet. At its free end it comprises a substantially conical portion 56l terminating in a tip 13. Adjacent thereto there is provided a substantially cylindrical portion ending in an annular shoulder 19. Although the head piece is shown with conical and cylindrical portion it is possible that its surface is slightly curved. The tip 13 can be slightly rounded.

Adjacent to the annular shoulder 19 the connecting element 12' has a cylindrical portion 35 of smaller diameter than the portion 55 but a larger diameter than the lflexible part of 12'. Between the cylindrical portion 35' and the flexible element 12 is a tapered transition.

The companion button comprises two substantially shell-shaped members and 58. The member 60 has a projection 17 which in its center is provided with the aperture 18. The shell 60 and the projection 17 are forming a generally bell-shaped element. The member 58 has an inwardly directed rim of a slightly smaller diameter as the outer diameter of the peripheral portion 59 of the member 60. The member 58 is covered with the cover -57 consisting of a cloth or any other material, preferably the same material as the cover of the mattress or cushion. The two members 58 and 60 are snapped together and are xing the cover 57 between them thereby stretching the cover.

Before applying the flexible element 12l to the cushion or mattress it is inserted into the opening 52 of the button 11. The opening 51 has therefore a diameter which is the same or slightly larger than the largest diameter of the head piece 14. For applying the element 12. to the cushion or mattress the cylindrical portion 35 is inserted into a needle similar to the needle 30 shown in FIG. 3. For the element 12 a needle is used having a cylindrica depression engaging with the cylindrical portion 35' and guiding the latter. The cylindrical portion 55 serves for the same purpose. When the needle is pierced through the cushion or mattress the cylindrical portion `55 guides itself in the material of the cushion while the head piece 14 is guided by engagement between the portion 35 and the needle. After emerging from the mattress the button 58, 60 is snapped onto the flexible connecting element by inserting the head piece 13|- into the opening 18. The shoulder 19, engages the portion 17 and iixes the button 58, 60 to the exible connecting element and thereby connects the two buttons on both sides of the mattress or cushion.

In carrying out the main features of the invention various modifications may 4be made Without leaving the scope of the invention, for example the flexible connecting element may be made of more than one piece.

I claim:

1. Device for the button tufting of a pad, such as a cushion for a chair, a mattress for a bed, cot, bunk and the like, said device comprising a flexible elongate connecting element, a button at one end of said element and a headpiece at the other and free end of said element, said element being adapted for engagement with a needle shaft, said headpiece terminating in a pointed end for being pierced through said pad when said element and said shaft are drawn into said pad, and a companion button adapted to be secured to said headpiece after the latter has been pierced through said pad, said headpiece having surfaces for said engagement with said shaft and for being gripped from the rear by engaging means on said companion button.

2. Device according to claim 1, said companion button having engaging and hooking means thereon, said companion button and said engaging and hooking means being combined it to one single injection molded plastic member.

3. Device according to claim 1, said lexible connecting element having an annular shoulder at the transition section from said exible connecting element to said headpiece, said shoulder forming a working surface for said needle shaft.

4. Device according to claim 3, wherein between the said annular shoulder and the said exible connecting element there is disposed a substantially cone-shaped transition section.

5. Device according to claim 3, said headpiece comprising a substantially cylindrical portion adjacent to said transition section disposed for guiding of said head-piece while the latter is being pierced through said pad.

6. Device according to claim 5, said cylindrical portion between said surface for the engagement by said needle shaft and said flexible connecting element there is provided a cylindrical portion having a larger diameter than said tiexible connecting element.

7. Device according to claim 1, said companion button having an elastic expandable hollow neck, said neck disposed to be snapped onto said headpiece by push-buttonlike action.

8. Device according to claim 7, said headpiece having two annular shoulders to be gripped from the rear by said hollow neck of said companion button.

9. Device according to claim 1, said headpiece having an eyelet behind said pointed end and the said companion button having a closely matched hook.

10. Device according to claim 1, said headpiece having a laterally open hook recess behind its point and the said companion button being provided with an eyelet.

11. Device according to claim l, said first-mentioned button comprising at the rear end of said exible connecting element a stepped conical opening, said exible connecting element having a stepped conical portion disposed for engaging said stepped conical opening.

12. Device according to claim 1, said companion button comprising two shell-shaped members having peripheral portions and a cover for said companion button, said cover being disposed to be lixed between said peripheral portions by snapping said two shell-shaped members together.

13. Device according to claim 1, said element, said button connected to said element and said headpiece comprising a single plastic member.

14. Device for the button tufting of a pad, such as a cushion for a chair, a mattress for a bed, cot, bunk and the like, said device comprising a exible elongate connecting element, a button at one end of said element and a headpiece at the other and free end of said element, a needle shaft, said element being adapted for engagement with said needle shaft, said headpiece terminating in a substantially pointed end for being pierced through said pad when said element and said shaft are drawn into said pad, and a companion button adapted to be secured to said headpiece after the latter has been pierced through said pad, said headpiece having means for said engagement with said shaft and for being gripped from the rear by engaging means on said companion button.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 593,221 11/1897 Howell et al. 5-356X 683,655 10/1901 Mersch 5-356X 2,176,960 10/1939 Fridolph 24-102T 2,176,141 10/1939 McRoskey 223-102 3,154,229 10/1964 Mount 223102 3,168,228 2/1965 Lewis 223-102 FOREIGN PATENTS 525,170 6/1929 Germany 24-90.1 1,966 1899 Great Britain 24-102SL 689,032 4/1965 Italy 5-356 DONALD A. GRIFFIN, Primary Examiner 

